TTC while overweight

[cantwaitforxmas]

I weigh about 12st10lbs and am 5ft5 so I have a few stone to lose to get to my recommended weight. Although I have never been very slim I have put most of the weight on over the last couple of years (have had a very stressful time at work which led to comfort eating). I am now eating more sensibly and trying to be more active (I am fairly fit anyway, lots of walking and have played hockey for years) and I am starting to slowly lose weight (0.5 - 1lb a week). The thing is I want to ttc early next year and I have a couple of questions

1. Do you think I should wait to ttc until I am closer to my 'healthy' weight. I don't think so but my new GP is very disapproving and keeps going on about the many risks associated with being overweight and pregnant. I would rather lose the weight slowly by making small changes I can live with long term but that will takes months (or years!).

1. I don't want to go back to overeating if I am pregnant but I don't think that it is a good idea to diet during pregnancy either. How do I know if I am eating a healthy diet? I eat a good range of foods with lots of fruit and veg and have cut down on the amount of rubbish I snack on but I know I eat massive portions and need to eat less. For example I think I am eating healthily now and don't go hungry and I am losing a little weight. If I eat like this in early pregnancy and lose weight (not deliberately but just because I have cut out the rubbish) am I risking the baby not getting enough nutrients?

Any advice would be really welcome. I don't want to put off ttc but my GP has made me feel as though I am being really irresponsible and would be putting my baby at risk.

Thanks

PS I am going to change GP regardless. Whether he is right or not his attitude was awful. I hate moving towns and having to change doctors!

cantwait, I think your BMI might be slightly more than 29 (mine was 29, something in first pregnancy and was nearly 31 this time round, from weight at 9 weeks), but I wouldn't accept the assumption that it's a problem, if you feel ready to ttc you can always start trying and continue your healthy eating/exercise efforts at the same time and see what happens.

First, over 30 is counted as obese on the BMI charts, but it's a pretty crude measurement - it also depends on where you carry most of your weight - it's better for it to be on hips and thighs/all over then all concentrated around your abdomen/waist. I conceived first time trying this time and haven't actually had real complications at this point - 30 weeks - in my 2nd pregnancy in spite of age and size. They made me take a glucose tolerance test but that was arranged on grounds of my weight alone and there wasn't a problem found.

I'm glad to hear you're going to move GP, his attitude does sound awful.

Well that link is a massive kick in the face At 39, I don't have time to hang around much longer trying to lose wait, so I'll just have to hope that my miscarriage last week was not down to a BMI of 32 and move swiftly on.

BMI isn't the whole story.

Yes I am overweight and, despite trying HARD for 3 years to shift it, I've still got a way to go.

HOWEVER, I lost loads and loads of weight when sick with gastroenteritis for a month earlier this year. I was in bed for 4 weeks, lost a stone and my BMI obviously went down. During recovery, I was still eating extremely healthy food and small portions but went back to the gym - stuck ALL that weight back on but the weight was muscle, not fat. They should look at percentage of fat v muscle in the body aswell. You can be fit and muscular but considered obese.

I have to point out that the study was, according to the article, of women who had attended fertility counselling, ie whatever the issue was, these women already had problems which had led them to seek help.

I meant increase not improve in my last post obviously.

I didn't say BMI was the whole story but what do you expect the GP to say?

Thanks again for all the responses and support. In answer to the few questions I am 29, don't smoke and only have the odd glass of wine. I also started a new job about a year ago which is much less stressful than my old place so feel much more relaxed and healthier than I have in years.

I guess being a bit overweight isn't ideal (and it's definitely not all muscle!) but then things are probably never ideal. I'll definitely stick to the healthy eating and have started going to the gym but won't put off ttc.

Just want to reassure you that when I conceived DD1 I was 5 stone overweight with a BMI of 39. I conceived after just 2 baby dances. I gained only 10lbs during my entire pregnancy. DD was a very healthy 5.12lb who arrived 3 days early.

I never felt better than I did when I was preganant. I was very careful what I ate and did continue exercising.

One of the community midwives did say that I had to see a consultant because a lot of overwight women have very large babies but it depends on how you eat during pregnancy rather than how you eat know. You will change what you eat - I found it happened quite naturally because you are so aware of looking after another little person.

Good luck TTC. I'm about to embark on TTC baby#2. I'm still 5 stone overweight and will do as I did last time, eat healthily and walk a lot.

I feel for you, cantwaitforxmas. Some doctors do seem to forget that we're adults and they can put over their position without treating us like naughty kids. Some of my (older) pals have had the same attitude for 'leaving it a bit late' (as if anyone ever 'left it late' on purpose!). I mean, it's not as if you went in saying,'oh, being overweight is great and I'm working on getting fatter, not thinner' is it?!!!'

I do think elkiedee has a very important point. It's often the case that these reports talking about dangers are based on a sample that sought infertility treatment, ie. they already had something going wrong for quite a while. People who were absolutely fine were not in the sample.

I'm glad you've decided to get a more helpful doctor. Good luck.

My BMI is about 36 and I had a fantastic first pregancy and a lovely baby afterwards. I put on about 3 stone, which I haven't really lost in the 18 months since she was born, and am now having trouble concieving and think that I may have had an early miscarriage last cycle. I have been doing accupuncture, and she told me that you shouldn't strictly diet while trying to concieve, just eat healthily and do moderate, low impact exercise which I am trying to do. I think that there is so much more than just weight as a stand alone issue going on, and the GP is just trying to offload you without having to do any tests or anything himself!

When me and DH decided we would want to start TTC sometime soon and wanted to have my coil taken out and go on the pill... long story but wanted to have a nearly normal period ect as not had one in 9 yrs ect and I was told at the family planning clinic that I was mad to think that I could go on the pill with my 'emmence' body weight it wouldnt 'stand a chance' and planning on having a child in my condition would make me a 'totally unfit mother'

Im 25 with a BMI of 44 and this ended up with me uncontrolably crying with DH wanting to go back in and make her appologise for talking to me like that.

Luckily for me our local GP is excellent and I saw the practice nurse who helped me with my plans, arranged for my coil to be removed, start the pill and a healthy eating plan with exercise plan so now I will be starting TTC in the new year if not before with her total support.
She said its not an ideal situation but theres loads of not ideals out there who are all out there and having children!

Sorry that nearly turned out to be a rant but got to say I dont believe anyone can be judged as a number especially a BMI when I dont see the smokers, heavy drinkers and recreational drug users lineigng up to beat themselves up over it before having children like those who have a high BMI!

Good luck to everyone out there and there baby wishes

Some Drs view themselves as "being cruel to be kind", when in fact they're just being cruel. Doesn't help that anyone who isn't a size 10 is an officially ordained bogeyman and threat to the future of the nation now.

I've had GPs shout at me about my weight - I'd only gone in for a smear test! It's not acceptable doctor-patient behaviour, they wouldn't get away with it for anything else - but because the Govt's said fatty-bashing is ok - they do it. It meant I didn't go back to the GP for years after that, even through the hideously obesity-related illness of an ear infection and perforated eardrum!

Having said that - I had to lose 3 stones to kick my reproductive system up the arse into functioning again... then miscarried which I think is just one thing that would have happened anyway.

A friend of mine was seriously overweight when she got pregnant with her now 6-year-old girl. And when I say seriously, we're talking something in the region of 18st. She wasn't intending on becoming pregnant so may well have taken action to lose weight if she was TTC at the time. She had a completley trouble free pregnancy and long labour but also quite straight forward.

I think, ultimately, complications can ensue for any number of reasons, but in the overwhelming majority of cases, things will be fine, no matter whether you carry a bit of extra weight or not. I've also been told the same as yellowflowers, age is more of an issue than weight.

hey ladies
i'm so glad this post is here. i'm TTC at the moment (since mid-April) and no joy so far. One of the things that has been weighing on my mind since then has been that I have a BMI of about 31, and have been stressing out a bit about it.

The conclusion that this board has led me to is that medical opinion differs widely - it looks like people have had loads of conflicting advice, but what I think is probably the most important factor is that all of us are consciously trying our hardest to bring a child into the world in the best possible circumstances. Yes, it's probably not great that we're carrying a few extra pounds, but we'll do our best to be good mothers.

Good luck to everyone here - if it feels right, just go for it, but don't forget to try and live a healthier lifestyle regardless.

suedehead x

P.S. I think we also have a duty to our potential unborn children not to be too hung up on weight. We need to impress upon them that it's important to be happy rather than a certain size or BMI number...

Just read Jools1's story - just to say my BMI is around the 30 mark. I'm 41 and miscarried last year - but I'm now 35 weeks pregnant.